Engine light came on flashing and vehicle losing power. Took to Kia Dealership and told there was a rod bearing malfunction.
2020 Kia Sorento
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Kia Sorento do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 242.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sorento years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 26 of 134 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
134 reportsWhile adding the anti theft software to our 2020 sorento they short circuited the BLM which is the brain box for the vehicle. They have had the car for 4 weeks now and they say the have the part on order but they do not know when the part will be sent. In the mean while they are making us pay for a rental car on our credit card …
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While adding the anti theft software to our 2020 sorento they short circuited the BLM which is the brain box for the vehicle. They have had the car for 4 weeks now and they say the have the part on order but they do not know when the part will be sent. In the mean while they are making us pay for a rental car on our credit card until the part comes in and then will reimburse us.
I had my recalls on my vehicle completed by a kia dealership and need that to reflect in your system for my vin so I can ship my vehicle due to military permanent change of duty station orders. I will be shipping my vehicle on 31 May 2023 and need this resolved prior to doing so. Please assist ASAP. Thank you!
This morning, I had the software upgrade patch applied to my 2020 Kia Sorento that was supposed to fix the potential theft issue. After that service appointment, I started a 2 hour road trip. We stopped for gas and when we went into the store, I noticed that my car was not sounding the horn when I hit the key FOB twice like nor…
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This morning, I had the software upgrade patch applied to my 2020 Kia Sorento that was supposed to fix the potential theft issue. After that service appointment, I started a 2 hour road trip. We stopped for gas and when we went into the store, I noticed that my car was not sounding the horn when I hit the key FOB twice like normal. I went back to the car and saw that the car was in fact not locked. I was able to lock the car manually, but had I not paid attention, someone could have snuck into my unlocked car. Later in the roadtrip, I needed to clean my windshield using wiperfluid and wipers. I sprayed the wiper fluid, but to my surprise the windshield wipers did not activate. I tried all the settings on the stick to activate the wipers, but they did not activate. I was driving 70mph on a highway and could not see. This was a huge safety problem. Luckily this was momentary as the speed cleared the wiper fluid. But had it been raining, I would not have been able to see which is unsafe for me, my passengers and those around me. Third, I noticed that my headlights were not working as expected. The Auto setting did not seem to be activating as normal. After playing with it, it appears that the Auto and Off settings on the lights seem to be switched. This is unsafe because drivers rely on that Auto setting to turn the lights on when it is necessary. They may think the lights are on when they are not and are not able to be seen by other drivers. By the time I realized these things, the service department at the dealership was already closed. I have tried to leave them a voicemail, but their phone is not set up to accept that. I have sent an email and will be calling them as soon as they reopen on Monday. There are no warning messages to tell the drive about these issues.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches), however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches), however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of t…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact had rented a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, both the front passenger and rear passenger's side windows exploded. The contact stated that there was no external cause to the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aw…
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The contact had rented a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, both the front passenger and rear passenger's side windows exploded. The contact stated that there was no external cause to the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired, and was returned to the vehicle rental company. The failure mileage was 4,537. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that he recently purchased the vehicle and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) upon purchase. The contact stated that the dealer provided the recall information however, the dealer did not inform the owner of when the parts were to become av…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that he recently purchased the vehicle and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) upon purchase. The contact stated that the dealer provided the recall information however, the dealer did not inform the owner of when the parts were to become available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the parts were not available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the is…
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The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Official recalls
122V703000 · Trailer Hitches
Sep 19, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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